Why is horse meat worse than other meat?

As consumers in Europe are affirming, since traces of horse meat have been found in beef sold across Europe, there's something wrong with the idea of eating horse meat.

But why is this aversion not the case with other animals, other meats? Cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and countless other species that we willingly put on our dinner plates are equally sentient to horses, equally capable of feeling happy, sad, fearful, and even affectionate toward one another, as well as toward human beings.

Indeed, our horses, dogs, and cats serve us well in providing us with fulfilling relationships, which is why we are outraged about the idea of serving them on our plates.

So maybe now is the time to reconsider — or consider, rather — the animals that we conveniently call dinner, with euphemisms such as beef and pork, who end up looking nothing like the magnificent creatures they once were. With tidy cuts and attractive packaging, they are all in disguise.

There are many food manufacturers that now are forced to consider this. And there are those manufacturers that have considered it all along, which is why supermarkets now have a variety of dairy and meat alternatives. It's time for us as compassionate consumers to consider it, too.